Former president Donald Trump encouraged Christians on Monday to vote in the 2024 election, claiming that a Kamala Harris presidency would restrict freedoms and presenting himself as a defender of Christians. As reported by The Guardian, Trump spoke at an event in North Carolina billed as an “11th-Hour Faith Leaders Meeting” featuring conservative pastors, including self-professed “apostle” and longtime Trump supporter Guillermo Maldonado.

“You know, we’re now in spiritual warfare,” said Maldonado. “It’s beyond warfare between the left and the right. It’s between good and evil. There’s a big fight right now that is affecting our country, and we need to take back our country.”

Ben Carson, the campaign’s national faith chairman for the 2024 election, openly rejected the idea of a secular society.

“This election is about whether we are a secular nation or one nation under God,” said Carson, prior to introducing Trump.

During his speech, Trump addressed the assassination attempt during the summer at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and credited God for saving his life.

“My faith took on new meaning on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, where I was knocked to the ground, essentially by what seemed like a supernatural hand,” said Trump. “And I would like to think that God saved me for a purpose, and that’s to make our country greater than ever before.”

The former president then urged Christians to vote in next month’s presidential election.

“You have a reputation of not voting proportionately,” Trump said. “Christians, evangelicals … but Christians and gun owners don’t vote.”

He also promised that as president, he would revert the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits non-profits, including churches, from endorsing political candidates.

“Within the first week, you’re gonna have that right,” said Trump.

He also mentioned his decision while in office to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a highly criticized move by world leaders for threatening to provoke tensions in Israel and Palestine.

“I said, ‘We are going to do exactly what a lot of people didn’t want me to do,’” said Trump.

Trump also spoke against the inclusion and gender-affirming healthcare for trans people, vowing to “take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two genders: male and female.”

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